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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 9 Hansard (17 November) . . Page.. 2559 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

Again, Mr Speaker, anybody who doubted that would have only needed to look at Sydney Water. The Sydney water authority obviously is in public ownership, but unfortunately the regulatory situation simply was not up to speed. That will not happen in Canberra under a Liberal government.

MR STANHOPE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Will the Chief Minister give an undertaking to meet the concerns of ACTCOSS, with whom the Government is working, that a full regulatory framework is developed and the broadest community consultation undertaken before the Assembly considers any ACTEW sale option?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the view of the Government is that the Assembly should vote on the sale prior to the legislation on regulatory intent being passed, but we believe very strongly that the legislation for regulation should be in place and passed in this place before the sale goes ahead. So, what we are doing next week in this place is bringing forward the statement of regulatory intent, giving it as a basis to everyone in the community - in fact, good community consultation, as you can see - for people to look at what we are proposing. We will then put it together over the next few months. We will be speaking to members of the community, ACTCOSS and so on, to ensure that the legislation does reflect the needs and concerns of the community and, of course, the needs and concerns of government and the Assembly as well.

That legislation will be passed in this place prior to the sale going ahead, Mr Speaker. I think that is absolutely essential. So, to that extent, we believe, as ACTCOSS does, that the legislation should be in place prior to the sale occurring.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I am delighted that the Opposition has raised the topic of ACTEW and has its mind on ACTEW, because this is certainly a topical issue at the moment. My question is to the Chief Minister, Mrs Carnell, in her capacity as a voting shareholder of ACTEW, the ACT Electricity and Water Corporation. Can the Chief Minister advise the parliament as to how ACTEW has performed - financially, Mr Quinlan - for the first three months of this year, and specifically how it has fared in relation to electricity revenues?

MS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Hird. I appreciate the question. Mr Speaker, I can understand - - -

Mr Quinlan: A million dollars better than budget.

MS CARNELL: On electricity revenue? No, wrong. You cannot even read a balance sheet.

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